Fossil Q Accomplice review: Another great hybrid smartwatch from Fossil

Hybrid watches were sort of new to me a few months ago. I’ve used and reviewed full blown smartwatches and even semi-smartwatches from Martian. The hybrid watches Fossil and Michael Kors are putting out are more traditional watch than smartwatch and that is what makes them magnificent. We’ve already reviewed the Michael Kors Access Gage and the Fossil Q Grant hybrid and this time around Fossil sent us one for the ladies. What follows is the review of the Fossil Q Accomplice which was worn and used by my wife. Fossil has always made a great watch and the Q Accomplice is no exception. Read on for the full Fossil Q Accomplice review.

Specifications

The Fossil Q Accomplice has the following features and specifications:

Compatible with iOS and Android™

Stainless Steel casing

Gold Tone Hardware

39mm Case

Auto Update Time & Date

Filtered Notifications

Fitness tracking no heart rate sensor

Bluetooth 4.1

No Charging Necessary

Lithium Battery Cr2412, 3V Included

Remote Control Activation

Tracker/Non-Display

Clasp Fastening and leather calfskin strap

Sleep tracking

2-Year Warranty

What’s In The Box

Fossil Q Accomplice hybrid smartwatch

Quick Start Guide

Warranty

Case Back Tool

Lovely watch face with glow in the dark hands.

Design

So just about six months ago I purchased an Apple Watch for my wife in Rose Gold. It wasn’t something she asked for but she wore it anyway. When Fossil reached out to me and asked if I wanted to take their Q Accomplice for a test run I asked my wife her thoughts. Seeing as I wouldn’t be wearing this watch I wanted to see if I could use her for feedback and testing. When she saw the watch her first thoughts were, that’s a traditional looking watch, which I like better than the Apple Watch.

The traditional, simple, and quality design of the Q Accomplice is what resonated first with her and I think it will with many people. When I first used the Michael Kors Access Gage I too was more comfortable with the simple operation that is a traditional watch. My wife appreciated the gold colored steel casing and the very nicely designed watch face that is real and not software generated.

The watch has held up well against daily use and various love taps against other objects.

Like all of the Fossil and Michael Kors hybrids, the Q Accomplice has three side buttons which look like your traditional watch buttons. The bottom button is called the Remote Control button and it commands the Fossil LINK feature which lets you control music, take a picture, or ring your phone if you lose it. The middle button is the multitasking button which controls the arms of the watch as well as alarms and alerts. The top button allows you to see the date: when pressing the button the arms move to the name of the day and the date.

Overall, my wife loved the design of this watch and the comfort of the calfskin strap was also a plus for her. While she appreciated the Apple Watch purchase I made, ever since she’s gotten the Fossil Q Accomplice, the Apple Watch has been sitting on its charger. She’s worn it so much that she managed to give it a few love taps here and there and it has stood up really well. There are a few scratches here and there but nothing really noticeable to the naked eye.

Software

We’ve gone over the Fossil Q app in past reviews and it’s simple to use. The app works with both Android and iOS and it’s the place where you’ll set your preferences and get sleep/step tracking data. You can set your alarms within the app and set the second time-zone should you be tracking time elsewhere. The second time-zone is activated by pressing the crown (center button), after which the hands will move to show the second time-zone you chose. The Q Link button is right under the crown and you can program that in the app to ring your phone, control music, take a photo, or track goals.

Ease of Use

Once again, Fossil makes this a very simple device to use. The core use for this watch is to tell time first, notifications and smart functions second, and it does all of it with ease.

Performance

Bluetooth connectivity was spot on and the set notifications came through without a hitch. The watch portion of the Q Accomplice works like any other basic watch and that’s awesome. One thing Fossil included on this watch that wasn’t on the Q Grant is glowing hands. My wife appreciated being able to see the time in a dark place and every analog watch should have these.

The calf skin leather band was well loved and gets more comfortable day by day.

Battery Life

The Fossil Q Accomplice hybrid smartwatch does not need to be plugged in like smarter smartwatches. Fossil claims up to 6 months of battery life on a standard watch battery which doesn’t seem all that bad. It probably eats up more battery than a non-hybrid/non-smartwatch but that’s to be expected with the Bluetooth connectivity.

Price/Value

For $155USD it’s a great value. You get your regular watch functionality with just basic smart notifications, it’s simple yet useful.

Wrap Up

My wife loved that she didn’t have a second screen on her wrist like the Apple Watch. The smart notifications were helpful to her and she loved the sleep tracking and step tracking in the app. Hybrid watches aren’t for everyone but smartwatches aren’t for everyone either. I think for those looking for just basic notifications and basic fitness tracking, the Q Accomplice is a great fit.

*We were sent a sample of the Fossil Hybrid Q Accomplice for the purposes of this review.

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